This invention relates generally to compressor wheels or impellers as may be used in a turbocharger, supercharger, and the like.
Locomotives equipped with internal combustion engines, e.g., diesel engines, designed to meet stringent emissions regulations may require relatively high air flow rates and high manifold pressures, as may be provided by a turbocharger, to meet air quality targets while maximizing fuel economy and reliability. The high boost ratios, typically 3.8 or higher, may require high tip speeds on a turbocharger compressor wheel, which may lead to high levels of tensile stress in a bore area and shortened wheel life due to low cycle fatigue. It is known that compressor wheels have used a through bore that extends through the center of the wheel along a rotation axis, and where the wheel may be securely mounted onto a shaft with a locking nut.
It is further known that so called boreless compressor wheels are able to rotate at higher speeds than compressor wheels having a through bore since a through bore removes load carrying material and thereby increases the stress level in the remaining material. That is, more wheel material exists at a point of maximum centrifugal load that results in higher load carrying capability.
In one known compressor wheel, a hub section of the compressor wheel that axially corresponds with the radially outermost portion of the wheel experiences the maximum centrifugal load. That is, a plane indicative of typical maximum stress exists in substantial axial alignment with the maximum radial extent of the hub. In this known compressor wheel, a threaded counterbore is provided in a hub extension for receiving the shaft. However, the counterbore must terminate well short of the plane indicative of typical maximum stress to avoid the high level of stress at that location. Since the length of the shaft/threaded interface is generally constant for any given application, the foregoing arrangement (that causes the designer to position such an interface away from the high stress plane) may result in excessive overhang of the compressor wheel. This detrimentally affects rotor dynamics and increases the axial length of the hub extension, thus increasing the overall footprint of the compressor wheel and turbocharger.